Many of our practices will be in a format similar to  this:

<span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Warm Up:</b></span></span></span></span></span>
<p lang="en-US"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s important to warm up gradually, especially as we get older. Start slowly in zone 1-2, with using ski-striding with poles. This is not a group run, a tempo workout, and especially not a race. </span></span></span></p>
<span style="font-size: medium;">You should be able to chat. Work up a light sweat only, and save your big bucks for the hill workout.. If you feel your group is too slow or too fast, feel free to switch groups or simply do your own workout. </span>
<p lang="en-US"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2012/05/17/train-slow-run-fast"><b>http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2012/05/17/train-slow-run-fast</b></a></span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After 10 min of easy ski-walking, throw in some sprints without poles, 10-15 seconds “all out” - with quick feet.. Be sure to slow down again after the 10-15 seconds. Alternately you could ski-bound with poles for 10-15 seconds. </span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Toss in some “double poling”, lunges, straight leg marching, skipping, backwards walking ( or jogging) or anything else you can think of. The idea is to get warmed up and limbered up, but not to arrive back tired or red in the face. </span></span></span></p>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Strength:</b></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"> This will often be a circuit, and will change slightly each week, gradually getting more difficult and longer. </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"><b>RUN</b></span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"> to the next station quickly and be ready to start the next exercise </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"><b>BEFORE YOU HEAR “GO</b></span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US">”. Several of the exercises are there to keep us warm when the weather gets cooler; rope skipping, jumping jacks and high knee running. Feel free to do these vigorously! </span></span></span></span>

<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Technique Drills:</b></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"> Just like it sounds. </span></span></span></span>

<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Main Set - Hillwork :</b></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"> Here is where you can challenge yourself. Each week we have a different way of incorporating intensity, either a natural interval circuit or prescribed intervals, the difficulty increasing as we approach the ski season. Each person should work at her own level. Talking is not recommended except on the recovery intervals (when there are prescribed intervals). The idea is to work at the specified intensity </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"><b>WITH PERFECT SKI TECHNIQUE</b></span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"> for a certain amount of time. When your technique falters you are finished the workout! And if you are just running, it doesn’t count ! </span></span></span></span>

<strong><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzlGkpAL5ec"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzlGkpAL5ec</span></span></span></span></a></span></strong>

<strong><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.xcottawa.ca/articles.php?id=2618%20"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">http://www.xcottawa.ca/articles.php?id=2618</span></span></span></span></a> </span></strong>
<p lang="en-US"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Monitor YOUR level of exertion rather than keeping up with someone who is interesting to talk to. More is not always better. In fact, working at a high level week after week is a sure way to burn out. If you need to go to bed when you get home, and don’t feel up to any exercise the next day, you have overreached. If you return home feeling the workout was too easy, go harder next time! Our group has a huge range of of age and experience, from Ironwomen to new or non-runners, and a gigantic mix of individual strengths and abilities. Consider this part of the workout an individual activity.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here is a simple primer on heart rate training zones. </span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><span style="color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://running.competitor.com/2014/02/training/running-101-running-with-a-heart-rate-monitor_22482">http://running.competitor.com/2014/02/training/running-101-running-with-a-heart-rate-monitor_22482</a></span></span></span></strong></span></p>
<p lang="en-US"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(Note: Unpredictable snow conditions preclude using pacing as you might while running)</span></span></span></p>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Stretches and Cooldown</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">:</span></span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span lang="en-US"> Be sure to finish your main set on time, so that you will have time to cool down, stretch, drink and eat a healthy snack before folding yourself into your car for a long drive home. </span></span></span></span>